THE government has pledged #5m to help create more Merseyside entrepreneurs.

A year-long report by the Merseyside Entrepreneurship Commission, chaired by TV guru Prof Phil Redmond, looked into how the region can encourage more people to become entrepreneurs and how to make the system easier for them to succeed.

Richard Nutter, Objective 1European Director, announced the funding and said: "There are already many exciting examples of projects and proposals in Merseyside - this money is about helping to make things happen quicker and smarter."